India Hits Back Again Neutralises Pakistan’s Lahore Air Defence After Failed Drone-Missile Attack
India neutralised Pakistan’s air defence system in Lahore on Thursday after foiling a drone-missile strike aimed at military targets, sources confirmed amid rising cross-border tensions.
In a retaliatory counter-strike on Thursday, Indian armed forces destroyed a key Chinese-made HQ-9 air defence radar system near Lahore’s Walton area after Pakistan attempted a drone-missile attack on Indian military targets. The attempted strike was intercepted, and no damage was reported on Indian soil, sources said.
The precision operation targeted Pakistan’s air defence network and successfully rendered it inoperative in Lahore. According to top defence sources, “the Pakistani Army’s air defence coverage in Lahore has been effectively neutralised.”
The explosions triggered panic in Lahore, especially near the Walton Road area adjacent to the army cantonment and CBD. Sirens blared as residents rushed out of their homes. Local media and Reuters reported visuals showing plumes of smoke and widespread chaos.
“A 5-6 ft drone was likely shot down near Walton,” a Lahore police source told Samaa TV, adding that flight operations at Lahore, Karachi, and Sialkot airports were temporarily halted.
Despite the dramatic visuals, there were no immediate reports of civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure, authorities said.
The developments came just a day after India launched its most significant cross-border military action in years—Operation Sindoor. The operation was a response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.
On Wednesday, the Indian Air Force and Army targeted nine terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), killing 80–90 terrorists, according to military sources.
The IAF deployed Rafale jets to carry out air-to-surface missile strikes, while the Army launched surface-to-surface missile attacks simultaneously. Officials said the mission was calibrated to avoid civilian casualties and did not target Pakistani military infrastructure directly.
In retaliation, Pakistan opened artillery fire along the Line of Control in the Poonch-Rajouri area, resulting in the deaths of 15 Indian civilians.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed India’s airstrikes an “act of war.” While Islamabad claimed civilian casualties, India maintained it had targeted only verified terrorist infrastructure, providing visual evidence of the camps.
As tensions escalate, all eyes are on further military and diplomatic moves. A senior Indian official said, “India will not back down. We reserve the right to defend our citizens and territory with necessary force.”
The Centre is closely monitoring developments along the LoC, and armed forces remain on high alert.
